the Global Poverty Project Team Trade should help lift people out of extreme poverty but right now, many companies are keeping them in it. Today we launch our exciting new campaign ‘See Through Fashion’ - a chance to bring greater transparency to the fashion industry and lift millions out of extreme poverty, if we act now. But first I want to tell you a story. On 24th April 2013 a factory full of garment workers collapsed in Bangladesh killing over 1100 people. They were making our clothes for our high street. The public outcry that followed was more than justified. Companies on our High Street have been operating for far too long without any transparency whatsoever. It’s almost impossible for any of us to know where are clothes are made, by who and in what conditions. Millions of garment workers in Bangladesh, mostly women, face the difficult choice of going to work in an unsafe building or losing vital but measly income that is already putting them on the extreme poverty line. In response, 40 British companies signed the Bangladesh Fire and Safety Accord, the first ever legally binding agreement that would deliver greater transparency and protect workers from poor conditions. But sadly, not everyone has signed. 5 months on and River Island are yet to sign this agreement. Over the weekend, The Arcadia Group, one of the remaining five to sign up to this historic agreement has announced that they will sign. We need to capitalise on this decision. We need to convince River Island that we, its customers, care. Tell River Island to sign the agreement now. I want to live in a world where the clothes I buy help people pull themselves out of poverty. I want greater transparency and a guarantee that the people who make my clothes do so in safe environments and are treated fairly. And the British public agrees with me. We conducted a national survey with yougov which found that more than 75% of the public want greater transparency and fairness for workers – and they’re prepared to pay for it. Now it’s time to tell the companies – sign up to Global Citizen and email River Island now. globalcitizen.org/stf-campaign
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 09:50:30 +0000
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